‘Boardwalk Empire’ Kills Off Fan-Favorite Character In Shocking Finale

Spoiler alert: Stop reading if you don’t want to know who was killed on ‘Boardwalk Empire!’

Say it ain’t so! HBO’s Prohibition hit Boardwalk Empire made headlines two years ago when they killed off fan-favorite Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), and now they’ve done it again. The Nov. 24 finale brought a grim farewell to one of our all-time favorite characters, leaving us not exactly sure who we’re supposed to root for once Season 5 rolls along.

‘Boardwalk Empire': Richard Harrow Is Shot And Killed

Well that was depressing. WWI vet Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) entered Boardwalk Empire back in Season 1 a broken man, and he departed during the Nov. 24 episode — bleeding to death under the boardwalk, natch — inches away from his well-deserved happy ending. He finally married Julia (Wrenn Schmidt), and was planning leave Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) and his life of crime behind for a simple life in Wisconsin with his sister’s happy family, but Richard should have known that one never truly leaves New Jersey.

His final act before leaving the Garden State was to assassinate Valentin Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright) in exchange for Nucky tipping off the authorities to the location of Jimmy’s body, which was supposed to get rid of that pesky Gillian (Gretchen Mol) once and for all. Unfortunately, the trained killer froze when the big moment arrived, and he accidentally shot Chalky’s daughter instead.

Madness. Harrow was shot by one of Narcisse’s bodyguards in the aftermath, and limped away to die under the boardwalk, with dreams of the simple life providing one last comfort before he passed. Are you kidding me with this?

Since Richard was one of the only 100 percent likable characters on Boardwalk, we’re devastated to see him go. But what about you, HollywoodLifers? How did you react to Harrow’s death?

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Gameplay The actual gameplay is split into two very simple game modes: Circus Mode and
Story Mode. Turn around and start running back to the first gate.
So similar, in fact that for the first part of the video I
was wondering whether the player was being deliberately sent through the same hallway
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Ok, I have to say all these comments are stupid as hell. “Waaah, Richard died, I’m not watching the show anymore!” There are two stupid things about these comments. One we don’t see Richard die, we see him DYING. This means that he might still survive, although I personally doubt it. Two, so what, he died? He was a great character, yeah, but that just makes his death more tragic. The fact that a show can make you feel things is evidence of good writing, not bad.

Personally I think it would make sense to kill him off now because his character arc had come to an end. He had married, and was ready to settle down, he wasn’t going to grow any more, and would likely not involve himself with the show’s other characters any more after this. Yeah, they could have just wrote him out of the show, and let him live, but this is more brutal, more dramatic. Instead of taking the easy way out, and let him fade out in the most underwhelming way possible, they instead show the “strongest character”, the man who took out an entire gang single handedly make a horrible mistake and freeze up in the middle of a gunfight out of horror from his mistake.

And to the people going “HURR DURR RICHARD COULD KILL WHOLE GANG HOW DOES HE DIE TO 2 GUYZ???” The reason he dies to two guys is because he lost his concentration, not because they forgot how skilled he was. If he was not in utter shock at his mistake, he could have reacted much better and survived the gunfight easily. But he didn’t, because he was so horrified by what he had caused, he was unable to react and got shot. If he does survive this shooting, and they continue to involve him in the show, that is great, but if not this is a totally acceptable way for him to die, and people should deal with that.

I agree, Richard couldn’t handle being a cold killer anymore, there was a hint for us when he couldn’t shoot the dog. If all the characters survive it would be like a silly soap opera. The war shaped him into a killer and all through the 4 series it was about his struggle with what he was before and what he was now, the war was what killed him really. It was a sad ending but I’m sure the writers have the ability to draw our attention and sympathies to other characters. At least we still have Nelson, I’m looking forward to what might be the last season.

Killing him off was taking the easy way out. Letting him live (even if shot still) and making his way to WI would have been the stronger ending. Nucky was trying to get out, but got pulled back in. He cannot get out, its in his blood, as shown by the nephew asking Eli “Isn’t this what we do?”

However, letting Harrow survive and going to WI to end his arc would have been a powerful move in that he was able to escape that life with the help of Nucky. Even if Nucky cannot escape, he was able to help someone else, someone deserving, move on.

However, they were done with his arc and took the easy way out by killing him off like they kill everyone else off, completely unoriginal for this show. If he was tormented by his past more, then it may have been the right move, but he wasn’t. He was able to move on as shown by his desire to make a life and a family. Weak ending for one of the best characters of the show.

Now I only hope they do Chalky some justice and give him a decent ending.

Completely disagree. We’ve gone through Richard Harrow feeling tortured for several seasons – there’s nothing more to be served by that. Taking the easy way out would have been doing what TV and movies generally do with a popular character- an unlikely survival.This was a great character who had a fitting death dreaming of what a decent life would have been for him. It was sad, beautiful – everything TV should be.

Killing Harrow, the most interesting character ruined the show for me. I’m done. What lousy, lazy writing. This is the guy that walked into a home and single-handedly offed an entire posse of Italian Mobsters and now he’s done in from two shots by Narcisse’s (the shows most disposable character) goons. Meanwhile Capone’s ancient boss takes a full round at point blank and is already on his road to recovery. I was bummed when Jim died but at least it made sense. We kind of saw that one coming. Losing Harrow is a real blow to this series. This was not well thought out. All down hill from here.

Dumbest idea ever: he was the one complex, sympathetic character that everyone loved…the only character that, despite his occupation, had a heart, some ability to love, some sense of morality, and who wasn’t easily pigeonholed as a garden-variety psychopath. By far the most involving and sympathetic character, who should have been allowed to fade away into the life he always wanted, but felt was impossible due to his war injuries, which is something we can all identify with (our traumatized returning vets).

They just destroyed their mojo and what ever originality they had on the show.. He had so much character with out ever saying much, so much depth …They are killing off these great fictional characters that catalyst their less non fictional boring ones because they seem to be stealing the spot light… Could have develop him more. He was the show for me. Now that he is not there I can care less and stop spending money on HBO. I am a Steve Buscemi and Michael Shannon fan, but Michael Shannon’s character which is great and the only interesting character left is not enough to carry the series alone for me …sorry :-/ but the rest are just too boring very typical and predictable we already know their future even Gyp Rossetti was great because he was fictional and so colorful
Could have made Richard go out a lot better than that as well.
his death was very disappointing, the writers efforts to show Richard loosing his edge and soften up backfired and just shows them loosing their own edge in their writing capabilities… think they will see a drop in viewers and ratings.. this was equivalent to Heath ledger not being in the dark knight anymore. yeah yeah yeah these other guys are good but who cares anymore its like watching the titanic sink we already know it sinks so if their aren’t any interesting characters on it its just a big boat to me and i would be rooting more for the poles that the falling bodies hit on the way down than the actual bodies … :-)

Bitter to see Harrow’s demise. He was the only character I was invested in. The writers should have looked at where the current Harrow character had grown to, irregardless of the original plan for a 3 episode stint. He was not “A Fan Favorite”, he was “‘The’ Fan Favorite”. His killing leads me to believe they are going to wind down the show soon.

Vivian, I’m glad they’re making room for other characters and story lines, but people are emotional, and historical accuracy has no emotional bearing on people, and does not emotionally invest them in the show. Another commenter said it best – – there is no one left to truly root for. Next season’s kickoff needs to be outstanding, if not…it’s been a good run but time to move on.

If you know your history I believe they are setting up to bring in Elliot
Ness and The Untouchables. This is also (I hope) making way for
The last two seasons where we’ll see the fall of Rothstein,
And Capone, the end of Prohibition and the beginning of Luciano and Lansky as well as their making of Cuba and Vegas. Harrow was
Incredible and a well crafted character, however like Jimmy
he was never fated for the happily ever after.

There was no reason for him to do the hit on narcisse to save tommy from gillian. In the previous ep she had already given up on having tommy. Richard could have got on the train with his wife and tommy and went to wisconsin. Or he could have backed out at the last second and left. Screw nucky. He killed richards best friend. Nobody knew he was from wisconsin except angela and jimmy and they r gone! Nucky wouldnt have found them. Anything wold have been better than him killing chaulkys daughter and dying alone under the boardwalk!

Except killing Chalky’s daughter is clearly to set up several events for next season. I like the ending to this season, because all the other seasons so far, except the first one have been self-contained. They set up a bunch of major conflicts and then resolve them in the same season they are introduced. This season doesn’t end the same predictable way, and not only doesn’t resolve the major conflict, but actually escalates it.

i’ll keep watching but i won’t care as much; same as game of thrones after the red wedding, kill off the only characters that have some measure of good in them; that seems to be hbo’s motto nowadays (and yes i know game of thrones is a book and hbo is adapting what happens); that emotional investment just like in game of thrones is now lost, but i’ll keep watching nonetheless

The difference with GoT is that the killing of certain characters is to make way for other characters who have important roles to play. The Starks, as much as we all root for them, are not the main plot point in the series. I know this is something non-readers can’t understand just yet. But killing the ONLY good character left in a show is just grabbing at straws. Killing Jimmy and Angela was a shock. Killing Richard is a desperate reach for a show that’s becoming less interesting with each season. I’m out!

I WAS SO looking forward to MORE Jack Huston next season… I am also HOPING that he appears to be dead, but is not. PLEASE! Anyway though, good one, writers, I am floored today, still feeling like someone I LOVED DIED!!!

How could the writers do this?! Why?1. Richard Harrow was the only character in the series that had depth and emotion! Forget Nucky, Eli, Van Alden and the others. BORING!!! Writers, I hope you realize what a grievous error you committed and do a rewrite that he recovers from his wounds for next season.

Im not watching this show anymore. The whole episode has Richard’s death written all over it. It would have actually been more surprising if he actually did survived. What’s wrong with a happy ending every here and there?

im sorry but this is completely idiotic i can’t believe they did it again and i for one will not be watcing it again and if he really is dead which is looking very likely what a rubbish way for him to die he should of went out fighting not under a pier. joke of a show.

I heard all this when Jimmy died – and you all come back for more. This show is great and Richard dying sucked, but I like a show that can rip your heart out like that

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dave

Posted at 10:59 AM on November 26, 2013

no tim i actually wont be back to watch again when they killed off jimmy i said fair enough and gave them a chance this time they can get lost….. KIlling him off is 1 thing but the way they did it and the way he went out was total BS thats not the kind of person he was in the show i mean come on now this is the same person who took out a WHOLE HOUSE OF DUDES just to get the kid and they kill him off like that?.